Three Universes, One Outcome
by Monster Galore
Summary: A few one shots of Genderbent SwanQueen, (Genderbent Emma) as Emerson Swan in these one shots that could spin out into more. One shots of how Emerson and Regina meet, and in the worlds they meet each other in. Fate is funny that way, but which one would you like to explore first?
1. Chapter 1

**Alright this is a short chapter before I post the others...but I have been coming up with a lot of angles to write this Male Emma SwanQueen story so I picked my top three...**

 **Then I wrote the first chapters for each of those ideas, didn't help shit. SO! I cleaned them all up, wrote it and I'm posting them here for you guys to pick which one you all want the most and that's the one I will push out first...**

 **Warning though, Don't expect anything right away because I want to be 10 chapters ahead of myself before I post anything just as a precaution if I get caught up with life or something. So without further ramblings...**

 **Enjoy!**

 **MonsterG/Cerberus**


	2. The Mile I Will Walk For You

**SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**

 **SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**

Emerson Swan was only twenty six years old...he was just barely getting started with his life. He had his bachelors degree in criminal justice, and he was making good money hunting down men and women who were skipping out on court. It made his life fun and he was always on the move, especially when they ran. _That_ was really fun; the chase. It was also good cardio.

And on top of his high life, he also had a pretty hot girlfriend; Jacqueline. They had only been dating a few months but she was practically living with him in two weeks time. She didn't cook though, or clean, or contribute to any bills. And that was an immediate disapproval from Emerson's parents. They never approved of Jacqueline, immediately seeing right through the young woman's smile and fluttering eyes. Ingrid and Mallory Swan were not fooled.

They knew what kind of girl Jacqueline was. And when the condom 'broke' and Jacqueline announced that she was pregnant, Mal had all but skinned her son alive for getting a girl like her pregnant and at such a young age. Of course, being a fool in love—Emerson didn't think Jacqueline was a "leech" as his mothers so kindly put it. His buddies warned him too, but he didn't believe Jacqueline would ever break his heart, they loved each other too much.

Unfortunately for Emerson, he didn't discover that his parents and his friends were right all along until he woke up one morning with a piece of paper stuck to his bare chest nine months later. Jacqueline had slipped off in the middle of the night to god knows where, and left him alone with Elsa, their newborn daughter.

Elsa was barely a week old.

 _That had been less than a month ago._

Emerson hadn't shaved in days and he wasn't even sure if the shower he took a few days ago could even be considered a real shower. His once bachelor pad had turned into a full blown nursery. Baby bottles were everywhere. Diapers were threatening to rob him blind, and there were stacks of baby books for dummies on his coffee table while his flat screen TV and game consoles collected dust. He hadn't taken another bounty hunting job since Elsa was born, spending a majority of his time doting on his daughter the best he could.

His partying money was no longer spent on alcohol and 'throwing stacks' in strip clubs. The only stacks he threw now were at the cashiers at the local baby store along with the discount card he managed to acquire. As far as he was concerned he was their customer of the month, if there was such a thing.

He was currently sitting on the sofa at his parents house next to his sleeping daughter in her car-seat carrier comfortably.

"Well if it isn't jackass of the year." Emerson was startled out of his thoughts when his least favorite sister, Anastasia, walked into the living room. "And you look like the hobo I passed on the street this morning."

Emerson sighed deeply, scratching his scruffy beard irritably. He was tired. He was hungry and sore. The last thing he wanted to do was hear one of his older sisters harping on _his_ personal life, especially since hers wasn't rainbows and unicorns either.

"What are you doing here, Ana?"

Anastasia gave him a dirty look as she sat down in the chair across the room, "You know, I'm really not surprised that you're here. You're always asking for help when you get in trouble. You're a loser Sonny, and I feel bad for that baby."

Emerson laughed humorlessly and shook his head. "Oh, I guess you forgot about that time when you maxed out your credit card and caught a DUI on the day and you called mom crying like a little—"

" _ **Ahem.**_ "

Both siblings jumped slightly and turned to the living room entrance; their mother, Ingrid Swan, stood there with her arms crossed over her chest. Her piercing blue eyes glaring at her two youngest, "I sincerely hope you two weren't bickering in here, and I really hope that you weren't about to call your sister out of her name, Emerson. It's been a month since you last came around but I know you haven't forgotten how to act like a gentleman." She ignored her daughters scoff and fake cough.

He shook his head slowly, trying to smile innocently, but Ingrid knew better than that. "Nope, I was just reminding her that I'm not as bad as she thinks I am. She's worse."

"You're both going to get it if you wake up my granddaughter. Now clean up, dinner's almost ready." She gave them one last warning look before leaving the room.

Emerson stood, picking up Elsa's diaper bag and her carrier. "You should really look in the mirror, Ana, you're not exactly the Virgin Mary. Remember?" He chuckled at the dirty look he received and went into the dining room.

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

Dinner at the Swan matriarchs' household wasn't awkward, but it was tense. Emerson was entirely focused on feeding his slumbering daughter and himself with one hand. He was actively ignoring Ingrid's attempts to keep the conversation flowing while Mal settled for observing her son with a borderline glare, that was until Anastasia set her fork down snobbishly.

"Okay! So I guess we're just going to ignore that he's been gone for a month and suddenly pops up again looking like the next best homeless reality TV star? Why are you two so okay with this?!"

Ingrid leveled Anastasia with a scathing glare. "Lower your voice, Anastasia, and try to act like a lady, not a jealous stepchild."

Anastasia scoffed, laughing slightly. "Oh please, Mother. I haven't been gallivanting around Boston with a whore and managed to get her pregnant, then dumped, _and_ forced into single parenthood by her."

"Jesus," Emerson set Elsa's empty baby bottle on the table and carefully placed her on his shoulder, patting her back softly. "What is your problem, Ana?"

"My problem is you Sonny. You're a college dropout that has life _made_ for you and you're wasting it by chasing strippers and weirdos for a few dollars. Now you have this baby and you're a mess. You can't possibly be serious about keeping her, you're unfit and—"

"I'm not a drop out!" he defended himself, glaring at her from across the table, "I graduated!"

"After you had to transfer to a different school _after_ dropping out two times God! It's like everything just _happens_ to work out for you and Lily."

Mal slammed her hand down on the table causing everyone at the table to jump. Elsa finally burped. "That's enough Anastasia."

Ingrid quickly rose from the table before her daughter could say anything more to make the situation worse. "Anastasia, sweetheart, help me with the dishes." Although it was posed as a question, the look in Ingrid's eyes dared Anastasia to argue, and the mouthy young woman knew when to pick her battles and this was not one. With one last dirty look at Sonny, Anastasia helped clear the dishes and followed Ingrid into the kitchen.

Emerson placed Elsa in her carrier and looked at his mom, who was sitting there calmly waiting until he made eye contact with her. "We need to talk."

"I know." he sighed.

"Tell me about Jacqueline."

"Nothing to tell. She's not here." He shrugged, not really sure what she wanted him to say about the woman.

"Exactly. What is your next move son? You can't keep...hiding in that apartment and burning money on an infant with no money coming in. You're a grown man, and I'm not going to financially support you on this. It's time for you to make some changes in your life, starting now. This pity party has to stop."

Emerson leaned back, emerald eyes drifting down to his daughter in the chair next to his. "You don't think I can be a good dad? Do you?"

Mal sighed deeply, "You can be. I know you can, but you need to figure out what's important and what's not, now. You're not living for just Emerson Swan anymore, honey. You have a baby that is literally depending on you to care, love, provide for her...to protect her. Your irresponsibility is now a responsibility."

Sonny ran his hands through his shaggy blonde hair, and Mallory tsked in his direction. He knew she wasn't fond of his quarter sleeve lion tattoo or his full sleeve dragon tattoo, Ingrid supported his expression of art but Mal on the other hand swore up and down that he'd regret it when he couldn't find a job or when people judged him for it. So far it hadn't happened...well not the first part but he never regretted it.

"I wasn't gonna bring this up til later but—"

"Bring what up? What have you done? Are you even listening to what I'm trying to tell you, Emery?"

"Yes, mom but...listen, I'm listening...really I am, but do you think you and mom could watch Elsa for a day? I, um, have some...things to do, and she can't come. Not yet."

Mal's eyes narrowed as she took a sip from her wine glass, " 'Things'? What 'things'? You're not going bounty hunting again, are you?"

"No." Emerson wanted to roll his eyes, but he didn't, "I just found a really good opportunity for me and the kid. There's this town called Storybrooke and they're looking for a deputy."

"Hmm," Mal wasn't buying it and he could sense it, but he pushed down his nerves, knowing how his mom operated.

"I figured I'd finally put my degree to better use and...well, I put my application in last week and I have an interview tomorrow afternoon."

"Storybrooke? What the hell is a Storybrooke?" Ingrid asked coming out of the kitchen drying her hands with a dish-towel and thankfully, Anastasia was nowhere in sight.

Emerson shrugged slightly, "I don't know. It's a town in Maine, and before you two say anything!" he interjected quickly, "I know it's far and last minute...but...I need this..this job. It's perfect, you guys. The hours and the pay are decent, and I can not be in danger ya know? Cause small towns aren't dangerous at all right?" He laughed but stopped when he realized that his mother's weren't as amused as he was.

"What about a babysitter? What if something happens to you, Sonny? We're at least five hours away and—" Ingrid stopped when Mal raised her hand calmly, still analyzing her son with a new, but guarded light in her eyes.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Ingrid and Sonny asked (and Ana, from behind the kitchen door)

"We'll watch her for you tomorrow. Good luck on your interview." Emerson looked at Ingrid and grinned. She simply smiled back but couldn't help but worry. Sonny was a runner but she had to trust that he _was_ coming back to clean up his mess. She knew her son had better character but the worry was still ever present.

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

After triple checking that Elsa was had absolutely everything she needed for at least forty-eight hours even though he was only going to be gone for less than half that time _and_ giving Ingrid his house key just in case Elsa needed something else—he was in his red Dodge Charger Hellcat and speeding out of Boston in the wee hours of the morning.

Only stopping for gas...and donuts. Emerson didn't have much trouble getting to Storybrooke, but he was more than a little surprised to see that the 'small town' was more than that and was literally surrounded by the forest; thick and green all the way around. It was beautiful and a little intimidating.

Checking his watch, he was about an hour ahead of schedule. Emerson spotted a diner, Granny's Diner, and parked his car across the street. He cut the engine and pulled out his phone, fully intending to call to check on his daughter but Ingrid had already sent him a few photos of Elsa awake and eating and another couple with her fussing, slightly red in the face. He figured he'd call later...Ingrid and Mal probably had their hands full already.

He got out and pulled on his favorite red leather jacket over his white shirt and crossed the street into the diner. It wasn't especially crowded but the patrons that were in there completely stopped what they were doing to stare at the newcomer. Standing at six foot two with an athletic build (from his football and baseball days in college) along with a natural blonde beard that went down to his broad chest, and blonde hair pulled back into a bun—Emerson was a hard man to miss, or forget. He was definitely new—and the next topic of the town's gossip.

Sonny was already uncomfortable and tried his hardest not to fidget as he made his way to the counter feeling the eyes of every customer on his back. Thankfully, they had enough manners to go back to what they were doing in hushed conversations.

"Well, damn, hello there handsome."

Emerson looked up at the tall brunette waitress who was smiling at him almost wickedly as she set a menu in front of him. "Um, hey..." Lucy winked, tapping her name tag with the end of her pen. "Hi. Lucy."

Lucy chuckled, putting her pen and pad in the front pocket of her apron, "Don't pay attention to the staring. We don't get many handsome faces around here. So what brings you to Storybrooke?"

"Oh, uh, I'm just looking to settle. That's all. So..." Sonny trailed off, tapping his fingers on the counter-top nervously.

Lucy nodded, hoping that he would have said more but when it was clear he wasn't the waitress smiled at him again, "Well I hope you find what you're looking for. So what can I get for you?"

He looked down at the menu for a moment before handing it back to her, "Um I'll take one of those and maybe a cup of coffee."

"One bear-claw and a coffee coming right up..." Lucy looked at him expectantly, letting the silent question hang in the air between them.

It took him a second to catch on, "Oh, um, Sonny." Lucy winked at him and walked away.

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

Sheriff Mulan set Emerson's resume aside with an impressive nod, as if she hadn't gone over it multiple times before, "You're more qualified than I thought you would be and in a town like this, between us, I could use someone like you on payroll. You have the right training with multiple fire arms, surveillance—you know you're shit, and I can appreciate that."

Emerson nodded, but he sensed a 'but' coming on and he was right. The Sheriff rubbed her brow with slight agitation, "Unfortunately the deputy position was filled last week. But it wasn't my decision though, you were my first pick."

"So why did I drive five hundred miles for this interview, Sheriff?" Sonny couldn't allow himself to be upset over this but it was no easy feat leaving his daughter for an entire day in another state and for what? To be turned down? That was a fucking phone call.

"Well about that, I wanted to interview you regardless because the Mayor decided to give us a break and funded an extension to the station. I'm sure you've noticed that this town is surrounded by forest, right?" Sonny nodded, and Mulan continued, "Yeah, Well it's the size of a national park and we do get visitors here in Storybrooke, mostly campers and hunters. It's been putting a strain on my deputies, there just isn't enough of us to watch this town _and_ be out there in the woods."

"Okay, what does this have to do with me though, Sheriff?"

"The new job I'm offering you, Mr. Swan, is for Storybrooke's official Chief Ranger, or Warden, whatever title you like best it's all the same."

"Oh. Wow. _Wow_." Emerson blinked and leaned back in the chair, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. "I mean I'd love to but...I don't know this area."

Sheriff Mulan chuckled, "Neither do I. I moved here last year. I was the deputy before the last Sheriff had a heart attack and died."

"Oh, I see."

"Listen, I know this is more than what you wanted but the pay comes with a ten thousand dollar bonus compensation for moving out of state along with medical, dental, optical, and life insurance. The Mayor has approved a two week down time period before you start so you can find a home and settle, _and_ get to know the area a little better."

"You're talking as if I already have the job."

"It's yours if you want it." Mulan stood and held out her hand, "So?"

Emerson really wanted to take the job, he really did, but he saw the forest coming into the town—that was too much for a entire Sheriff's department. He was just one dude, "I'm gonna be alone?"

Mulan shook her head, "No, actually—we have other applications that had been put in for the deputies position, but I've gone through the list and eliminated those who are just not up to our standards. Because believe it or not, Storybrooke has it's fair share of crime." Mulan picked up a medium sized stack of folders, "The Rangers station only has three openings, and since you're the most qualified out of everyone you obviously got the better deal; the bonus."

"What's my salary for this position?"

Mulan shrugged, picking up a sheet of paper after a minute of searching, "Since this is a pretty big park...you're looking at eighty thousand even, so that's about six or seven a month."

"Will the other two get bonuses too?" Sonny was truly curious, but he was internally screaming—he didn't know park Rangers could get paid _that_ much. That was twice the pay the deputies made.

"Yeah, just not as great as yours so I wouldn't go around bragging about it—but you're professional, I can tell. You take this job and this stack will be yours to go through—pick which ones you'd think would work best under your supervision. So what do you say, think you can handle this?"

Emerson swallowed harshly. Any other day he would have laughed and said fuck no. Hell, he wouldn't even be in the town, but with the economy the way it was, and now that he had a baby, he couldn't afford to be picky. He stood and shook the Sheriff's hand firmly. "Warden Swan sounds pretty badass, so I'm in."

"I was hoping you would be. I wasn't lying when I said I could use a man of your talents on my roster," Mulan nodded, smirking "Come on, let's get this paperwork out of the way and we're done."

 _Two hours later..._

Sonny didn't think he'd have to sign that much paperwork. He didn't get a chance to meet the deputies since they either had the day off or were out patrolling. Turns out that Storybrooke was a lot bigger than he originally expected. The Sheriff showed him a map of the entire town and there were actually three parts to the town; there was Storybrooke Grove (where he was now). It was full of old shops, the high school, and the Sheriff's station.

Then a mile or so deeper into the woods there was Storybrooke Plaza where (to his great relief) a number of big name stores were located such as Best Buy, Wal-mart, H-E-B, a mini outlet mall, and fast food restaurants as well as sit down restaurants.

And then there was Storybrooke Villa...where the rich residents resided on one side of the massive man-made lake and the middle class stayed on the other side while the lower class was quite literally scattered all around the entire town.

It was like its own little world and Sonny was amazed, quickly finding himself liking this town a lot. More than he thought he would, really.

He had expressed that he didn't want to live in the Villa (way out of his price range), but he didn't exactly want a shack house either. Sheriff Mulan gave him several addresses of houses and apartments for sale in Storybrooke (which weren't many) but so far he hadn't found anything worth his time. They either needed way too much TLC, and he didn't have time for that _and_ a newborn, or they fell short of expectations (he didn't like the area).

He wasn't expecting much of an improvement when he got to the last house on the list. It was a little ways from all three sections of Storybrooke, but he did see the Ranger's office on his way down so he hoped the house was at least promising.

It turned out to be more than promising. It was a two story chalet styled house. The grass was green and cut low. The porch light was on, and it was nothing but open scenery and fresh air. He parked his car on the side of the road and got out to get a flier from the "For Sale" sign. Three bedrooms, two baths, two car garage, a cellar and an attic...

He didn't need all of that space, but this was the best place he's seen so far, and he liked the area. The pictures on the paper showed that the house was more modern than its exterior. It could be his ultimate man cave...but with a baby. Only downfall, the price was too steep and he wasn't sure if he could afford to pay that much money in his current situation. It was only eighty thousand, but he just couldn't afford to put a dent in his savings—

"Excuse me, may I help you?"

Emerson turned around quickly, startled though he tried not to show it. He noticed the ranch—that was more of mansion—across the street but he never expected someone to actually come outside and talk to him. Especially not someone as gorgeous as the woman standing in front of him wearing tan riding pants with knee high brown boots and a powder blue coat. And Emerson wondered if he should have come to Storybrooke sooner. _Because damn._

"Hi." She stared at him eyebrow raised , and Sonny smiled nervously. "I'm Sonny Swan... I'm new to town and...well yeah." He held out his hand but she made no move to shake it, instead looking at it suspiciously. He slowly put his hand down and tried not to act as awkward as he was starting to feel.

"Can I help you?" She repeated, her tone was brisk, and her eyes were guarded, and Sonny didn't understand what he did wrong but he simply summed it up to just a rural thing.

He held up the flier. "Um, yeah...do you know the owner of this house? It doesn't have a Realtor listed. And uh, well, I'm kinda interested so if you could just...tell me, I'll be outta your hair. Ma'am."

She crossed her arms and for the first time Sonny noticed the riding crop and his mind went straight to the gutter for a split second, and with the tight Levi jeans he was wearing—that was the last thing that needed to be on his mind. "No one comes down here except the Sheriff, who I will be calling if this is some kind of initiation into Robin Lochlyn's little 'gang'."

Confused, Sonny took a step back, "What? Whoa. Gang? No, I'm...look I don't know who Robin whatever is but I'm not in a gang. I just wanna know who owns this house so I can buy it...or something."

The brunette's gaze shifted to the red muscle car that could be heard half a mile away then back to the tall man in front of—he could honestly pass as a mountain man, so no one could blame her for accusing him of running with Robin's little gang. She sighed heavily, hoping she wasn't going to regret this.

"Regina Mills."

"Regina Mills? She owns this house? Where can I find her? Is she nice?"

Smirking, the woman held out of her hand and Emerson chortled when he realized that _she_ was Regina Mills and shook her hand. "How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?"

"Sure," Emerson nodded. "Got anything to eat too? I'm hungry."

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

Emerson sat on a bar-stool in Regina's grand stainless steel and wood kitchen drinking apple cider and eating an avocado turkey sandwich while Regina sat next to him with her own glass—watching him eat, wondering when the last time he ate real food, not that it was any of her concern or that she cared.

"So if you don't mind me asking, but why do you have two houses...across the street from each other? That's kinda weird...I mean you're not weird...just...that's weird."

Regina met his curious green eyes coolly, "Don't mistake my kindness for weakness, dear. If you're finished, let's discuss business shall we?"

 _Triggered._ "Sure, just one thing...wait, don't say anything just hear me out for a second alright?"

Regina closed her mouth and motioned for him to continue, "Right now, I'm financially unavailable to pay for the house in full upfront but I can totally give you, I don't know..thirty grand, now and work the rest of the payment. Ya know? Like an installment plan or something?"

"An installment plan? Hmm, I see. And what's keeping me from saying no to this little bargain of yours, Mr. Swan?"

"I don't know, nothing I guess...but I'm good for it. This place is honestly the best place in this town that's available and I...well, I don't know." he hated that he couldn't come up with a better excuse but he was being honest. He may have made a lot being a bounty Hunter, but he spent a lot of it partying and it was too late for him to regret it, but it didn't mean that he didn't though.

"Well 'I don't know' isn't good enough. My apologies, but no deal."

Emerson surged forward as Regina collected his plate and moved to the sink but he stopped when he saw her tense, and backed off immediately rubbing his blonde facial hairs nervously.

"Sorry, I'm sorry but please..." _deep breath._ He swallowed his pride and stared down at the counter, "Look, I'm just one guy and I have this kid...my little girl. And I wanna give her the world...her best chance really. And apparently that's gonna be here in Storybrooke and it's an opportunity I can't miss. I just can't and that house across the street? It's not for me, it's for her. So can you at least think about reconsidering? Please?"

Emerson tapped his fingers on the counter top nervously, blushing because he felt as his pride was taking a hit and he's never really had to beg someone for something before and it was humiliating and humbling..

"You have a daughter?" Regina tried to keep her tone and facial expression neutral as she studied him—she wanted to not buy his story but his body language told nothing but the truth. Regina was a hard woman to impress, but she wasn't _that_ cold, "How old is she?"

"A month." he replied softly, still staring down at the counter.

Regina eyed him for a moment, she couldn't fault a man for stepping up...she did take notice that he never mentioned a wife or a girlfriend...or even a 'baby mama', and the brunette wasn't about to ask either. She set the plate down in the sink as it could be taken care of later.

"You can pay me by check or money order by the end of this week and the rest we can work out later."

Emerson's shoulders sagged as he dropped his head into his hands with relief—god he's never felt so emotional, but damn he wanted to cry but he didn't and he quickly pulled himself together and held out his hand, and this time Regina shook it.

 **SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**

 **SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**


	3. The Heart Is Home

**SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**

 **SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**

Emerson Swan was hitting his stride in his career as a Bounty Hunter especially in the state of Massachusetts. He had his own apartment and his own car sitting downstairs in the parking garage. Most Bounty Hunter's didn't make a good living and had second jobs, but Emery was good at what he did. Finding people was what he did best, and after he graduated college, he made good use of it.

His mother did right by him since he was just eight years old, and he wasn't going to let her down by being a bum. Adoptive mother or not, that was his mom for all intents and purposes. She did more for him than anyone else in the world—she was his family. It helped that they looked a lot alike too.

Tonight they were supposed to be having dinner but work called and it was a particularly big mark, and his mom was understanding, like always, and begged him to be safe and to call her later. He didn't think it would take long for him to catch up with the woman who jumped a million dollar bail, but he had almost lost her at a private airport. With his license to carry, and training, Emery was able to bring her in nice and quiet and his bank would be getting a pretty hefty check in three days time.

It was worth it, but now Emery was out of a great hot meal at his moms house and settling for a cookie and a five dollar box meal from _Hardee's_ with a large Dr. Pepper.

 _So much for my big 28_ _th_ _..._ He set everything on the counter and began to undress but a soft knock at his door had him looking back at his door curiously, wondering if he had just heard it or there was someone really knocking at his door at damn near midnight.

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Emery tossed his red tie aside on the counter next to his mediocre dinner and made his way to answer the door, and called out to his visitor, "Yeah?"

 _Knock, knock, knock!_

Emery licked his lips, noticing that the knocks were a little too low on the door and that was what prompted him to open the door rather than ignore it, and what he found there wasn't anything or _anyone_ he was expecting. There was a young boy with a head full of brown hair and dressed smartly and he was holding a book that was almost bigger than he was. Emerson didn't know what to do or what to say and neither did the kid if his expression was anything to go by.

He didn't have an actual picture of the man he was looking for but Henry was good with computers and tracking down Emerson Swan was easy especially since there was only four in Boston. He also did the math and narrowed it down to the man he was currently gaping at. He was big...bigger than Graham, and he was pretty tall.

"Do you play football?"

Emerson blinked down at the kid, who couldn't have been any older than seven, shaking his head, "No, listen kid...are you lost or something?"

"Are you Emerson Swan? Your birthday is today, right?"

"Is this a joke?" Emerson stepped out of his apartment, looking up and down the hallway expecting to find someone he knew from work but it was empty, "Kid seriously, are you lost?"

Nails scratching against the hard wood alerted both of them and the kid was suddenly across the hall with his back pressed against the wall when a brown and white Pitbull with electric blue eyes came charging towards him but stopped just before leaving the apartment, ears perked. Emerson reached down and scratched his companion behind her ears.

"Relax, Blixem. Sit down." immediately the dog, _Blixem,_ sat down obediently but she was eagerly wagging her tail, excited to meet their visitor as they didn't get many often. "Kid, I'm calling 911—"

"Wait, please..." he glanced at the dog warily for a second, then back to the man he believed was his father, "Are you Emerson Swan?"

Emerson sighed heavily, he really didn't have time for this, "Who's asking?"

"I am, Henry Mills...I'm your son."

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

Emerson had lost his appetite ten minutes ago and a headache was slowly replacing it as he paced the length of his kitchen while Henry happily ate his food and explained just what the hell was going on, because Emerson had no clue. He didn't even remember this kids mother let alone actually believe him. And if that wasn't bad enough...

"You're mother is the Evil Queen and what...I don't get what the hell you're getting at here, Henry. And me being the Savior? Who put you up to this?"

"No one! I'm telling you the truth!" Henry sighed, shaking his head, "My mom is the Evil Queen and she put a curse on all the fairy tale characters to get revenge on Snow White and brought them all here, to a world without magic and they don't have their memories!"

"And?"

"And you're the Savior! You're the one who breaks her curse! And you're gonna be the one to defeat the Evil Queen and bring everyone their happiness!"

"That's your mom, you know that right?"

"She's not my real mom!"

"Look kid, it's late...and I'm calling the cops."

"If you do, I'll just tell them you kidnapped me."

Blixem barked from her spot on the sofa, and Emerson frowned at Henry—he could easily explain the situation and get away with a wasted night at the precinct but he just didn't want to deal with any of that, and he was really starting to not like this kid.

"Fine, I'll just take you home myself. Where do you live?"

"Storybrooke, Maine."

"Story...brooke? Wow. Okay. Look, don't touch anything I'm gonna go chance... Blixem watch him." another bark, and Emerson knew that Henry wouldn't move an inch since it seemed he was rather intimidated by the Pitbull even though she was as friendly as a butterfly. But he didn't have to know that just yet.

Emerson went into his bedroom and immediately sat down on the edge of his bed with his hands in his hair, _fuck fuck fuck..._ he wasn't recalling anything with any of his previous being pregnant or anything, he'd always been careful but damn if it wasn't possible. Emerson pulled his phone out of his pocket with half a mind to call his mom, but thought better of it. He needed to check all of this out for himself before he bothered her with it.

He'd rather avoid getting an ear full for a false alarm. Emerson set his phone down and stripped out of the rest of his suit and put it in the basket for dry cleaning and quickly pulled on a pair of denim jeans that had a hole at the knee on the left pants leg, a purple v-neck shirt and his favorite work boots. An old pair of Doc Martins he had finally broke in.

When he came back into the kitchen he wasn't all that surprised to find Blixem and Henry sitting on the floor and being the best of friends, Blixem always had good character judgment and even though the kid might've been crazy, he trusted Blixem's judgment. While Henry was distracted, however, Emerson grabbed a zip lock bag from the cabinet and collected the stray from his cup and sealed it up. He'd send that in for a DNA test as soon as possible.

"Hey kid, ya ready?"

Henry looked up at Emerson in awe, eyes immediately drawn to his quarter sleeve dragon tattoo on his right arm and his full sleeve lion and roses tattoo on his left arm, "Wow...the book didn't say anything about you having tattoo's...those are so cool! Did they hurt?"

"No." Emerson pulled on his black leather jacket from the coat hanger by the door and pulled off Blixem's leash before whistling for her attention and she immediately left Henry to go to Emerson. He knelt down and adjusted her collar so that it was a little looser before clipping on her leash, "You ready kid? Maine is a nice distance from here."

Henry nodded, reaching out to take Emerson's other hand and Emery just didn't have the heart to pull away like he so desperately wanted to, "Just promise me one thing?"

 _No._ "What?"

"Please don't leave me alone with her."

Emerson didn't say anything, what the hell could he say? He quietly walked Blixem and Henry down to the elevator and thankfully the elevator didn't stop until they were in the parking garage. Emerson unlocked his custom all black Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and let Blixem into the backseat. He turned back to Henry and sighed, "Are you getting or what?"

"You're getting cooler and cooler, dad."

Emerson froze immediately, and shook his head abruptly, "Don't...don't call me that, alright? I just...look, just call me Sonny. It's a childhood nickname my mom calls me."

"You mean your adoptive mom?" Henry asked innocently, but Emerson wanted to growl at him for it, "Your real mom is in Storybrooke too! Her name is—"

Emerson slammed the door shut just before Henry could say anymore, Emerson didn't care about his real parents, they didn't want him and he didn't want them, end of story. He had a mom who wanted him, who loved him, cared for him and gave a shit enough to raise him and teach him right from wrong. In his eyes, she _was_ his real mom. Emerson walked around to the driver's side and slid into the fine leather seat and thankfully Henry didn't say anything else to him.

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

Emerson was driving as fast as the speed limit would let him on the highway, and Blixem was fast asleep in the backseat, the vehicles vibration always lulled her to sleep if the windows weren't down and she wasn't in the front seat.

Emerson's headache was ebbing away but it was still there and annoying the hell out of him. Henry was sitting in the passengers seat, fingers tapping on the book in his lap—and Emery knew he was itching to talk and prayed that he wouldn't. His prayers weren't answered,

"Are you mad?"

"No."

"You're lying."

Emerson sighed loudly, the ache in his temples throbbing painfully again, "Kid, I'm tired alright and that story you told me? Not helping, so if you could just stop, that would be great."

Henry sighed too, "It's okay, it took me a while to believe too...but once you're in Storybrooke and see for yourself, then we can start operation break the curse. Do you wanna hear about your mom?" it was too dark for Henry to see Emerson's eye twitch, but even if it wasn't he probably would've missed it anyway as he was busy turning the pages in his book, "Her name real name is Snow White but here in Storybrooke her name is actually Mary Margaret..."

"I have a mom." Emerson commented after a while when he realized that Henry was actually waiting for him to say something, "And I love her very much."

"Oh...well, maybe you can have two moms? That way I can have two grandmas?"

"Right...can I ask you somethin'? Why are you so obsessed with this fairy tale stuff, I mean...don't you go outside and play with your friends instead of making this stuff up?"

"I don't have any friends, not really...their memories aren't real, not until you break the curse and free everyone."

Emerson shifted uncomfortably in his seat, shaking his head, tired of the conversation, "Get some sleep, Henry. It's a long drive and I'm sure your mother is out of her mind with worry."

"She doesn't really care, Sonny, she just pretends."

"Yeah? Who bought you that jacket?"

"Uh...she did?"

"And those nice shoes?"

"Her..."

"And those clothes, that backpack, the haircut? Who paid for all of that? Who cooks for you, kid?"

"Her, but—"

"Go to sleep." Emerson said, and turned on the radio. And the moment he was out of the city, he sped up ever thankful that Henry fell asleep after a while when he realized that Emerson wasn't interested in talking anymore.

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

 _Welcome to Storybrooke..._

The moment they blew past the sign, Emery felt a unusual tingling esthesis dance up and down his spine before it faded out at the base of his neck.

The road was narrow and dark but Emerson didn't slow down though he did turn on his brights and fog lights. He could see the town and sighed with relief, _thank God._ Emerson finally eased off of the gas when he got into town and he thought about waking up Henry to ask for directions to his house but thought better of it when he spotted a diner just up ahead and it seemed crowded, even this late at night.

Emerson parked on the curb in front of the dinner behind a classic Mercedes, his noisy car calling the attention of several customers and they were shocked to see such a beast of a car—and not even that, but an actual visitor and no of them could remember the last time Storybrooke had a visitor.

Leaving the engine running but cutting the lights, Emerson stepped out of his car and went into the diner and everyone just stared at the newcomer. Standing at six foot two with an athletic build (from his football and baseball days in college) along with a blonde beard, and long blonde hair pulled back into a neat bun—Emerson was a hard man to miss, or forget. He was definitely not from around Storybrooke—and was going to be the next topic of the town's gossip.

A woman wearing a black blazer and skirt blinked away her expression and schooled it into something unreadable as she rose from the table she was sitting at with the man in uniform (Emerson assumed he was the Sheriff or Deputy) and approached him, and Emerson couldn't help but check this woman out from head to toe. She was gorgeous in a haughty type of way and the way she carried herself towards him, he would've thought she was actually royalty if he didn't know any better.

Much like Emerson was doing, Regina was sizing him up as well. He was rugged, though she supposed that he was a handsome man but anyone with eyes could see that. She wasn't exactly sure if she would like a man who could put his hair in a better bun than she could (currently), or with a beard as full as his own, but he was very easy on the eyes. And he looked unsettling familiar. But what was more pressing to Regina was just how the hell did he stumble into her town and _why._

"Excuse me, are you lost?"

Emerson stared at the brunette for a split second before laughing humorlessly, and rubbing the back of his neck tiredly causing his shirt to ride up, and every woman in the diner had eyes on the exposed patch of pale skin just above the waistband of his pants. Except the Mayor, she the self control of a Queen after all. And behind her, Graham just frowned at the stranger and cleared his throat.

"Funny you should ask that, ma'am," Regina raised an eyebrow at the term, "I'm just lookin' for the mother of one Henry—Hey, whoa! Whoa! Get the hell off of me!"

Emerson shoved Graham away immediately almost making him topple over a table. He had seen the man move around the brunette faster than he could blink but he knew how to defend himself and was immediately on the defense. He'd taken down guys, and some women, with more gusto than this guy, badge or no badge.

"Sheriff!" the brunette snapped, holding up her hand to stop him in his tracks and everyone in the diner were watching the scene unfold with wide eyes, "If you don't mind, please allow me to handle this."

"He attacked an officer of the law!"

Emerson scoffed, raising his shirt showing his personal weapon in it's holster ...sitting right next to his badge, and if it were at all possible, the building would've swooned at the flash of smooth flesh and that fine v-cut, "I outrank you buddy, and you attacked me first."

Regina growled and stepped between the two men, her patience growing thin, "Henry Mills, where is he?"

"Who are you? I'm not leaving him without anyone but his mother."

Regina wanted to strangle him, but she could appreciate his concern for her sons safety even if he was just a complete stranger. She held out her hand with a tight smile, "I am Regina Mills, Mayor and Henry's mother."

Emerson was tempted to ask for her identification but they were standing in the middle of the diner for fucks sake, that was a far fetched lie to tell and his lie detector wasn't going off so he shook her hand firmly, but didn't offer his own name. He glanced at the Sheriff who was glaring at him but kept his mouth shut and his hands to himself.

"Follow me, ma'am."

Emerson led Regina, and the Sheriff who refused to leave the brunette alone in the company of this stranger. Emerson went to his purring vehicle and opened the passengers side door and immediately Blixem jumped out, startling the Sheriff and Regina but she paid them no mind and stretched around Emerson's legs.

Regina's attention was back onto the small form curled up in the passengers seat around that damned book and his backpack and she practically sobbed with relief, "Oh God, Henry."

The child opened his eyes, only taking seconds to find his bearings before he realized where he was and jumped out of the car and hid behind Emerson's tall form when Regina tried to hug him.

"You promised you wouldn't take me back to her!"

"No, I didn't," Emerson said wearily, fighting back a yawn as he pulled Henry from behind him and pushed the kid towards his mom gently, "That's your mom, kid."

"No she's not!" Henry squirmed in Regina's grasp until she let him go, "That's the Evil Queen, she's not my mom! She's not my parent, you are!"

Regina gasped and the Sheriff wished he would've just stayed inside with everyone else, "Henry, what—"

"I found my dad! My _real_ dad!" Henry glared at her and stalked towards the Mercedes and jumped in, slamming the door shut, leaving Emerson to deal with the shit storm.

He raised his hands when the Mayor's brown eyes turned steely, "Look lady, I don't know that kid and I don't have kids, I just brought him back from Boston, alright?"

"Boston?!"

"Yeah, Boston." Emerson confirmed grimly, "Listen, I don't know what the hell is goin' on and I don't care but I'm not that kids father, alright?"

Regina swallowed harshly, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Henry managed to travel all the way to Boston and found this man who had green eyes that would undoubtedly haunt her, "And you have every intentions of leaving and never returning, correct?"

"Yeah, but..."

"But?" Regina stepped closer, and there was something in her tone that made him want to take a step back, but he held his ground—barely, "It's one in the morning and I'm tired. I was planning on leaving in the morning if that's all right?"

Regina considered her options, mulling over the pros and cons of letting Henry's 'supposed' father stay in her town for more than a day—she knew of the book and the tales it told, and the consequences would be catastrophic for her if he decided to stick around. But he had also expressed wanting to be as far away from Storybrooke as she also wanted him to be.

Granting him one nights sleep could not be _that_ troublesome, so with that self reassuring thought, Regina nodded, expression still unreadable. "I will arrange your stay at the Inn in town Mr...?"

"Swan," the handsome man supplied with a crooked smirk, shoving his hands into his jacket, "Emerson Swan."

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

Thankfully the owner who was referred to as Granny, the same woman who owned the diner apparently, allowed dogs into her Inn. Emerson grabbed his small travel bag from the trunk and went up to his room with Blixem in toe, she had been oddly guarded the moment they walked inside of the building and she didn't relax until they were inside of the room, with the door locked and closed.

Emerson wasn't sure what he was expecting exactly but despite the lack of TV and WiFi connection, the room was cozy and the King sized bed didn't look half bad either. He tossed his bag onto the bed next to Blixem along with his phone and went to take a quick shower.

When he emerged from the bathroom he felt more relaxed and a little more awake but he knew that wouldn't last long the moment his head hit the pillows. Emerson tossed aside the towel and pulled on a pair of red boxer briefs before finally laying down with a heavy sigh. Blixem shifted until she was settled with her back pressed into his side.

Emerson picked up his phone to set his alarm, and then sent a text to his mom to let her know that he was alright.

Of course he knew that thinking she'd be asleep at this hour was in vain and that she'd just text him back. After all of these years, he should've known his mom better—and he did.

"Hello?"

" _Sonny, it's late. How did it go?"_

He bit back another yawn and ignored his growling stomach, "It went fine ma, just the night ran a little longer than I expected...can I come by in the morning? I gotta talk to you about somethin'..."

If she noticed his tone, she didn't let on...not yet, _"You're always welcomed, sweetheart, and don't bring anything for breakfast, I'll cook. Pancakes with eggs and bacon sound good?"_

Emerson's stomach growled again, this time with a vengeance, and he nodded, "Yeah, mom, that sounds really good right about now. I'll see you in the morning around um...nine or so?" that gave him six hours to sleep and an hour a half to get to back into Boston.

" _Perfect, goodnight Sonny. I love you."_

"I love you too ma, g'night." Emery set his phone down on the nightstand and turned off the lamp. And outside, just below his room...a man in a suit with a cane was frowning. The man who entered his town was exactly who he had been waiting for, for twenty-eight years—but there was something off, something different. He felt it the moment he crossed the town line and he did not like it.

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

Early the next morning, Emerson didn't wake up to his alarm clock like he planned to but to Blixem barking her ass off near the door and he knew exactly what that meant. Emerson kicked away the sheets as he rolled over onto his back to pick up his phone and checked the time. He still had an hour but Blixem wasn't going to wait for anyone so Emerson forced himself out of bed and put on his boots. He didn't bother to put on any other clothing, there was no point, because strangely enough he was the only one checked into Granny's Inn and it was _way_ to early for anyone to be up.

Of course, he didn't really account for how chilly it would be outside until he actually got out there and his nipples ached painfully so he crossed his arms to somewhat protect them from the chill. Coming outside half naked...not his best idea. He looked up at the sky, figuring with the rising sun it was best that he got up anyway. He could sleep later at his moms after breakfast.

If he had been more aware, he would've noticed that he wasn't the only one outside, until he looked over towards the parking lot to check on his beloved muscle car and paused when he saw that Mercedes parked right next to it. Startled, Emerson turned a little more and saw Regina Mills, Mayor of Storybrooke and Henry's hot mom, standing near the door on the terrace and Emery would've liked nothing more than to be swallowed whole by the ground. This wasn't really how he wanted to start his day—arrested for public indecency.

"You wouldn't be so cold if you had bothered to put on some clothes, Mr. Swan, do I need to call the Sheriff?"

Regina was struggling to keep her eyes on his face and not the chiseled body presented to her and in the privacy of her own mind, she wasn't afraid to declare that Emerson was more fascinating than Sheriff Graham and she almost wished that she had him in the Enchanted Forest. She didn't think she'd ever get tired of him, he'd more than likely wear her out than the other way around.

"Uh...well, I..." Emerson swallowed thickly, arms flailing around a little, "I just woke up—"

"That much is obvious."

Emerson's face was on fire now, and if he could just disappear right at that moment, he'd be eternally grateful, "Right, Blixem she just needed to get out...but um, y'know what?" he turned back around, and Regina's eyes immediately dropped down to his backside, and thought of all the things she could do that ass. She watched as he whistled and the young puppy that came up to his knees came running out of the bushes and nearly tackle him.

She watched as he clipped on her leash and stepped aside as he went inside, more willing to follow after him than walk ahead of him for reasons that weren't anyone else's business. Regina didn't know what to watch—the way the red fabric of his briefs stretched and formed around his firm backside as he walked up the stairs, the way his lower back muscles moved and jumped beneath his pale skin _or_ contemplate how strong those thighs were.

Once they reached his room, she was more than ready to take off her blazer and undo a few buttons to breath but thankfully, he put on a pair of sweatpants and a shirt (because those nipples of his were begging for attention that she wasn't exactly sure he could handle if she actually gave in to those dark thoughts she was having. Certain thoughts she hasn't had in over a decade).

Emerson sat on the edge of the bed to put on his socks and running shoes, gesturing towards the basket of apples that Regina set aside on his dresser, "Uh...not that it's not um, nice to see you or anything, Mrs. Mills—"

"It's Ms. Mills," Regina corrected easily, adjusting a few apples to distract herself.

"Right, whatever, but um...what are you doing here?"

Regina cleared her throat pushing her hands in her jacket pockets, "Just a parting gift for your trip home."

"This early, Ms. Mills?"

She returned his suspicious look with a chilly one of her own, "I also figured with the two hour drive back to Boston, you'd have to be up earlier than usual and that you'd get a little hungry."

"That's a little presumptuous, isn't it?" Emerson got up and began pulling out a brush and his toothbrush from a smaller travel bag, "Maybe I was gonna stop and have breakfast at Granny's." he wasn't but she didn't have to know that. The woman had gotten up at an ungodly hour just to see him off—that in itself was suspicious.

"And were you?"

"Nah," He smirked, and walked into the bathroom, "This town is cute, Madam Mayor...but not _that_ cute. I have a life to get back to, y'know." he leaned on the door frame, eyes lingering on the apples again, "Those are nice and I bet they taste good and all..."

"But?"

"But I'm allergic to apples, sorry ya made the trip for nothin'."

"Oh...I see, I'm...sorry," Regina frowned, she's never encountered anyone who outright refused a gift from her, even if they hated it—they weren't brave enough to tell _her_ no. She wasn't exactly sure how to respond for a second. Regina removed her hands from her pockets and stepped further into the room, and closer to him, "Well, please, Mr. Swan...I'm sure your um... _" mutt..._ "Blixem, was it? Yes, I'm sure Blixem will enjoy them so take them anyway. And drive safely."

Emerson looked down at her outstretched hand then shook it firmly, gasping softly when that strange sensation he felt the night before was back, but in his arm this time and if Regina felt it, she certainly didn't make a show of it like he did. Regina gave him one more once over before exiting the room, and winking at Blixem on her way out.

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

Almost an hour later, almost everyone in Storybrooke was aware of the strange man zooming out of Storybrooke, particularly one Henry Mills as he stormed back into his room and slammed the door shut, and while Regina would later reflect on the fact that Henry more than likely hated her even more—she would take this win for what it was. A win.

Meanwhile, Emerson had both windows down and was doing sixty five and over to get the hell out of town on dry roads without having to worry about anyone else being on the road with him with his _Papa Roach_ playlist blaring through the speakers. He blew past the _Leaving Storybrooke_ sign and almost immediately he heard sirens, and with one glance in his rear view mirror he knew immediately who it was.

"Blixem, sit."

The Pitsky (Pitbull and Husky) dog barked and moved to the backseat and Emerson rolled up the windows and sped up. There was no way that cop car was catching him...not now. Not ever and soon enough, the Sheriff's car was gone and so was he.

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

Blixem was barking excitedly as he pulled into the driveway of his moms house, and if Emery didn't know any better he would've thought she would jump out of the window. He cut the engine and opened his door, allowing her to practically climb over him and run to the front door where his mom was waiting. Emerson reached into his backseat and retrieved the basket of egg before he got out of his car.

"Hey mama, I come bearing gifts," he held up the basket with a wide smile,

His mom smiled at him, icy blue eyes twinkling as she pulled him into a hug, "Where did you get those apples?" Emerson smiled down at her, handing over the basket staying silent as she examined one of them—and he knew the exact moment when she figured it out.

"Sonny..."

He nodded, feeling proud of himself, "I found it ma'...I found them all."

"Are...are you sure? How can you be sure? It's been years..."

Emerson swallowed, feeling nervous all of a sudden, "It's a long story...and I only wanna tell it once...do you think maybe you could call Aunt Crue over? She needs to hear this too."

His mom ushered him inside, worry all over her face and in her eyes but she wouldn't press her son for any more answers for the moment and decided to just feed him first. She set the basket of red apples aside and pulled out her cell phone. It only rang twice, as usual.

" _Yes, darling. This is early, even for you."_

"He found it."

 _..."I'm on my way."_

 **SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**

 **SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**


	4. Reluctant Attraction

**SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**

 **SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**

Emerson was exhausted, it was a long for him and his Rangers and he could only imagine the hell the Sheriff's department was catching from the Blanchard family to make sure that nothing, _nothing_ went wrong. Mayor Leopold Blanchard had been found dead in his cabin last week on a Monday. Emerson didn't find him, _thank God,_ that would be his Ranger, Robin Lochlyn, during his patrol on the east side of the park. Emerson had been at the Rangers station when he got the call from Sheriff Mulan about his wife, Eva Blanchard calling her about her missing husband.

Apparently, Leopold hadn't checked in with her in three days and that was unusual so Emerson had his closest Ranger drive out of the Blanchard cabin that was thirty miles outside of town deep into the woods and about four miles off the trails. He had a heart attack drinking his morning coffee and loading his rifle. The day of his funeral, _today,_ it was a rainy mess and Sonny was glad when it finally ended. He didn't particularly _like_ the man—he wasn't too sure anyone actually did.

Storybrooke, Maine was a unique sort of town tucked away in the upper northern corner of the country. It was once a small town back in the old days but it grew over the years, mixing the old with the modern. Most people that visited Storybrooke ignored the town and headed straight for the woods, where the hunting game was rich, camping grounds properly maintained and the park Rangers weren't assholes and knew their stuff.

But the moment they passed the 'Welcome to Storybrooke' sign, visitors quickly realized that Storybrooke was a lot bigger than they could've ever hoped to realize and had a lot more to offer than it's wilderness that surrounded the town like a beautiful green plague. Storybrooke had been made up of three parts starting with Storybrooke Grove; the original Storybrooke with the old mom and pop diners, mechanical shops, and the local high school, City Hall and the Sheriff's station. The place was ancient but the Mayor kept it up for some reason, and no one ever questioned it. No one really dared to.

Then there was Storybrooke Plaza, the most popular location in town only because it was the home to the local shopping mall and shopping trip with the big name brand clothing lines, restaurants and supermarket's that one could find in a big city. If it wasn't the national park that brought in the town's revenue, it was the Plaza. Perfect place for parade's, annual winter balls and such.

And last but not least, a couple of miles deeper into the forest resided was Storybrooke Villa...where the rich residents resided on one side of the massive six mile long man-made lake and the middle class stayed on the other side, mostly retired and semi retired. And everyone else was more or less scattered throughout the town and woods itself.

It was why Emerson loved the town so much, him and his sister and their mother. It was such a magical place and the people, though some were beyond shady, we just as awesome. No one knew everyone but somebody knew someone and that's just the way it was.

Emery parked his all black ten inch lifted Ford F-250 Super duty King Ranch truck across the street from Granny's diner in Storybrooke Grove and got out as he was pulling on his favorite red hoodie over his white shirt and crossed the street into the diner.

It wasn't especially crowded with the locals, considering what day it was, but it was packed with tourists and they had stopped what they were doing to look at him. Standing at six foot two with an athletic build along with a natural blonde beard that went down to his broad chest, and blonde hair pulled back into a bun—Emerson wasn't a hard man to miss, or forget. He knew he looked rough, but he didn't think it warranted all the stares.

He nodded to a few of the regulars and went to the counter to sit down and Granny had his usual sitting in front of him a minute later, a hot cocoa with whipped cream with a dash of cinnamon on top and fresh bearclaw, to go.

"How are ya holding up, Sonny? I know them Blanchard's aren't the easiest bunch to deal with."

"Understatement of the century," Emerson shrugged, scratching at his beard, "I'm heading up to moms...takin' the day off."

Granny shook her head, "With the incomin' storm, this might be ya only day off for a while. Rumor is that the Mills are moving in on the Mayors office."

 _Yeah, that'll go over well with the Blanchards..._ Emerson set a ten on the counter and picked up his items, "Guess we'll be finding out soon enough, see ya Granny!" Emerson managed to avoid being stopped by a few women who had been eyeing him since he arrived—on any other day, he might've entertained it, but he was tired.

The Ranger jumped back into his truck and got outta there, heading towards his moms how near the river that ran through the whole park.

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

Emerson parked next to the cherry red Dodge Charger Hellcat, it belonged to his older sister Lily. She lived in the apartments closer to town, and she coached at the local high school and owned the bar that was frequented by both the locals and tourists.

She didn't run the bar personally, not during the school semesters so their mom did, to keep her busy during the day and sometimes during the night. Emerson finished off his bearclaw quickly and wiped the evidence from his beard as he ran through the ran to the front door. Thankfully, it was already unlocked and he let himself.

"Mom! Lily!" he shouted over his shoulder, kicking off his muddy boots by the front door—knowing how much his mom hated shoes being on inside of her house on her carpet, "Mom?"

"Stop shouting, Emery, we're in the living room!"

Emerson rolled his eyes and joined his two favorite women in the living room, going over to kiss and hug Mal before taking a seat in the recliner near the window with a loud sigh and groan, and Mal raised an eyebrow at his melodramatic antics, "I take that the funeral went well?"

"Well as in Mary Margaret's entire eulogy saying that taking her fathers place is her birth right? Or Eva Blanchard passing out at the grave site and falling on the casket and Cora Mills causing a riot?"

"No way!" Lily spat out her water, eyes wide, "I knew I should've went! How in the hell did she fall into the grave? Why didn't anyone catch her? Why are these people so ridiculous?"

Mal shot her daughter a warning look, then turned back to her son after her oldest child managed to control herself but Lily felt like her head was going to explode, "What the hell happened?"

Emerson chortled, "What didn't? I don't know where to start but Storybrooke is gonna be in hell for the next few weeks—Mary Margaret thinks she can by pass the voting session for Mayor and Cora Mills has a campaign ready to go. I think."

"Who's gonna run?" Lily asked, she'd rather have _anyone_ else as Mayor as long as their last name wasn't Blanchard, "Zelena or Cora?"

"I don't know, but—"Emmett's phone rang cutting off his reply, he shifted in his seat to pull it out of his back pocket, _work..._ "Swan."

" _Chief,"_ Merida's light Scottish accent drawled over the line, _"Sorry to bother ya', but there's a stranded lass out there on Bald Mountain trail, we're a bit tied up with a few campers."_

"Tow truck? Where's Geppetto?"

" _Haulin' a few campers broken RV back to his shop for fixin'. Sorry, Chief."_

Emerson sighed loudly, "I'm on my way, tell 'em I'll be there in an hour."he put away his phone and looked at his mom and sister sheepishly, "Sorry guys, rain check on movie day?"

Mal stood as well, and walked her son to the door, "Do you think you'll be able to come back for dinner?"

Emerson really wanted to just go to his own home and get in his own bed as soon as possible, but he hadn't seen his mom or his sister in nearly two weeks for longer than ten minutes and this was a perfect example of why. That and he just didn't want to make his mama sad, or miss him too much so he just smiled and kissed her cheek, "Sure ma, I'll be back when I can."

"Are you smiling?" Mal made a face at him, eyes narrowed and Emery sighed internally, "I didn't say anything when you let your hair grow past your shoulders, and I didn't say anything about this damn birds nest on your face but Emery, I'm drawing the line when I can't even tell if you're smiling or not!"

"I'll trim it when I get a chance, ma! I've been busy, sorry! But I really gotta go!" he nearly tripped over his own two feet trying to pull his boots on before running out into the rain towards his truck and nearly dropped his keys.

"That boy." Mal shook her head at her son, and closed the door after him and went to the kitchen to get the wine out of the pantry.

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

With skies starting to open up more, Emery had to slow down more and turn on his top and bottom fog lights to see better once he got off of the main road and onto the trails. This particular mountain trail was a little ways off from the 'public' trails, only the locals knew about this one and even some of them got turned around. He was about two miles down the narrow trail when he spotted the car sitting off to the side, nearly off the trail.

"Right," he mumbled, pulling off to the side behind the stranded vehicle, "Let's take a fancy ass car and go for a ride through the woods when it's raining, what's the worst that can happen?" he put his truck in park but left it running as he jumped out and jogged to the drivers side. Immediately the window was rolled down and he was struck a little dumb by the intense brown eyes that were looking back at him with burning irritation.

"Hi."

"Hi?! I've been waiting for you over an hour and all you can say is hi?"

As if suddenly remembering why he was here in the middle of the forest with the rain painfully beating down on his back, and not at his moms watching movies and stuffing his face, the Ranger snapped out of his star gazing, "Uh, right, sorry ma'am. If you could just come with me, I'll get you outta here!"

He had to shout over the crack of thunder and thankfully the feisty brunette didn't put up too much of fight as she rolled her up her window and opened the door, her umbrella smacking Emery in the face. Once he got her safely into his truck through the drivers side, he quickly followed after her and got a few old shirts from the backseat and tossed her one before drying his own face.

"Excuse you?"

Emery stopped what he was doing, and looked over at the woman who was picking up his shirt with the tips of her thumb and pointer finger, and tossed it back where he got it from, _oh. One of those types. Hm, figures._ "I'm...sorry? I—"

"Where's the tow truck that was promised?"

Emery sighed deeply, turning up the heat when he noticed her slight shiver and he would've offered her one of his hoodies but by the way she was dressed—he was sure he might've been slapped for his efforts, so he just didn't bother, "Sorry ma'am, Geppetto is pretty busy right now—so you got me instead."

"An overgrown mountain man with a truck as big—overcompensation. Just what I needed. And my car?"

He ignored her jabs, "If you hadn't noticed, ma'am, this isn't a tow truck. Geppetto will get it when he can."

"Great. Just great."

She might've been the most gorgeous woman he's ever seen in his life, but Emery wouldn't strike bitch from his vocabulary when it came to this woman—if it wasn't for her car, her attitude and clothing screamed city and he didn't think his day could get _any_ worse because the drive back to Storybrooke would be twice as long because of the storm.

He put his truck into gear, and drove past her stranded vehicle, "Where the hell are you going? The main road is back _that_ way."

 _Jesus,_ Emery was going to give Merida the _shittiest_ duty jobs. He wasn't, but the thought was nice. "Turning around is not safe, the trail is too narrow and we can't really afford to get stuck so we're taking the trail around."

"Oh, your big truck can't handle a little mud?" she sassed at him, reaching out to adjust the vents so the maximum amount of heat was on her, not that he minded since he was wearing a hoodie and could handle being a little cold.

He decided not to answer that question either, least his manhood come under fire again, "Ma'am—"

"Stop calling me ma'am." _Nope. Merida is getting the shittiest duties for a week. Night shift._ She noticed the CB sitting just beneath his radio, _curious._ "And just who are you?"

"Woman like you getting into a truck with a total stranger, shocker. Thought you would've at least asked for my birth certificate."

" _Chief, ya there? Over."_ cut of whatever scathing reply the brunette was sure to hurl right back at him as if it were a flaming fireball meant to kill him.

Emery sighed heavily and picked his mic, speak of the devil and she shall appear, "Copy, Ranger, what's going on out there?"

" _Nothin' much, Chief. Did ya pick up the stranded lass yet?"_

Emery glanced at the brunette and she was glaring out of the window, arms crossed, "Uh, 10-12 (company present, watch your mouth), DunBroch."

" _Roger that, see ya when we see ya. Over and out."_

The silence in the trucks cab was quiet, and it made Emery a little uncomfortable and he was fighting the urge to start rambling. Not wanting to embarrass himself or stroke the brunette's ire and the hard rain wasn't making anything any better. Their agreed silence lasted until they got back on the main road, much to Emery's relief and he could only imagine how filthy his truck was. _Again._

"If it isn't too much trouble, would you take me home instead?"

Startled that she was even speaking to him civilly and actually _asking_ him, it took a moment for him to answer the question directed at him, "Uh, yes ma'am. I mean, sure, yeah. Where do you live, exactly?"

"108 Mifflin Street."

 _Storybrooke Villa. Swanky._ Guess she wasn't a tourist then, but he's never seen her before, "Did you just move here or something?" Emery decided to push his luck, maybe she had cooled down some and was now mostly dry.

"Something like that." was all that he got back, she didn't even look at him.

"I'll um, stop by Geppetto's and let him know where your car is. I'm sure he wouldn't mind dropping it off when he has the chance." Emery wasn't actually sure about that, that cranky old man might mind a whole lot, but that wasn't his problem.

"Thank you, and..." she trailed off hesitantly, as if she were choosing her words carefully before turning her full attention from the wet and green scenery outside and to her rescue that looked as if he belonged outside than inside, "I would like to extend my most sincere apologies for my crass attitude earlier. I was upset."

Emerson huffed laughedly, shaking his head. That sounded a little to politician for his liking but he brushed it off as he switched hands on the wheel and offered one to her, "Emerson Swan, Chief Ranger."

Her eyes closed briefly when she learned who he was as she reluctantly shook his slightly dirty hand that swallowed her own hand whole, "Well, you do certainly look the part...Regina Mills."

"Mills? Any relation to Henry Mills?"

Regina offered him a chilling smile, "He's my father." Emerson remained quiet after that admission and Regina didn't feel inclined to follow up anymore conversation but she knew she would have to make up for her unnecessary rude behavior. It wasn't his fault that she took a wrong turn and got stuck, if she had to guess by the way he was dressed—he might've gotten out of bed to come rescue her.

That and if she were going to be taking over as Mayor for this town, she needed to be in working relations with all of her employees, well the ones that mattered. She studied this man, _Emerson,_ a little more closely while he was focused on the road with his windshield wipers working over time. She supposed that he was a handsome man, anyone with eyes could see that. She wasn't exactly sure if she would like to date a man who could put his hair in a better bun than she could (currently), or with a beard as full as his own. Regina was more into clean cut men that wore fitted suits—not scruffy men with dirty boots, a hoodie and old blue jeans.

"How long have you been Chief Ranger, Mr. Swan? You look awfully young." the question was out of her mouth before she could stop them or process it in her mind, and judging by the look he gave her—he was just as surprised as she was.

"Four years. I uh took over when the last Chief died, he was mauled by a bear trying to help a few campers get away from it."

Regina nodded, grimacing at the gruesome imagery that flashed through her mind, "That is unfortunate, I'm sorry for your loss. Were you two close?"

"He was my mentor."

Regina blinked at Emerson's tone, it was unexpected and deep and why was her heart stuttering, "Oh, I apologize I was—"

"Nah, it's cool Regina, I didn't like him too much but he was a good dude, y'know?"

Regina glared at him, jaw muscles twitching as she adjusted her coat labels, anything to keep from fidgeting because Regina Mills did _not_ fidget, "I don't recall giving you permission to call me by my first name, _Mr. Swan._ "

Emerson pressed his lips together, unsure what to say to that—he didn't know why he got so comfortable so quickly since they weren't throwing insults back and forth. Or rather her insulting him and him trying to be polite and get her out of his face as soon as possible. Emerson mumbled out a quiet apology and turned on the radio hoping that the _radio_ didn't offend the prickly brunette. Regina watched as the brawny man sigh deeply and lean against the door and she felt the large truck speed up just slightly.

Regina huffed and went back to staring out of the passengers side window. It was best not to get too personal with her future subordinates anyway. So why did she kept thinking about the fact that he never answered how old he was, and why it was bothering her so much that she couldn't readily tell as she usually could with anyone she's ever met. Regina reached forward and turned up the radio to drown out her own thoughts.

 **SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**

 **SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**


	5. 100 Yards

**Hey cool, so I heard you guys loud and clear on which one you'd like to see posted first. Like I said, it's not gonna be an immediate overnight thing cos I'm a perfectionist type bitch. BUT in the mean while...this was an idea I scrapped and yet still think about? So, I'll just put this here. I kinda love hate it (?) My imagination honestly has no limit.**

 **BUT HOW BOUT THEM PATS v PACKERS THO! PATRIOTS DOIN THE SHIT TONIGHT! 31 to 17 baby ayyyyeeee. BOOM! BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!**

 **Sorry, I'm a big ass Pats fan. Anyway, lemme go finish these other updates before I get shanked.**

 **SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**

 **SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ**

" _Welcome back everyone to another, hopefully, great NFL season. This is Scott Patterson and Joe Johnson live on ESPN Boston and we're just as excited as all of you, especially if you're a Boston Colonels fan."_

" _Yeah, no doubt about that Scott. The Colonels had one hell of a season last year and won Superbowl 51, marking it as their 5th Superbowl win in a row for the Colonels! And you know something, Scott? That has got to be a damn good feeling for Ruby Lucas, being the first female Coach in the NFL; so young? And leading that kind of charge? That powerhouse of a team? Whew!"_

" _Yeah, you would've never seen that kind of thing back in my day of playing football, but it's a new time Joe and I gotta admit...it's a good feeling. Whether you wanna call it women's intuition or just flat out skill, it doesn't even matter anymore. Ruby Lucas shut everyone up and the Colonels were 1st in AFC East last year and the year before that_ and _the year before that."_

" _And they're gonna continue to do big things this year, Scott."_

" _Joe, you mentioned powerhouse earlier...and as much as I admire Coach Lucas, we gotta look at the team behind her so far undefeated force, particularly quarterback Killian Jones. That guy has a canon for an arm and he's spot on every single time that ball leaves his hands."_

" _And with wide receivers like Graham Humbert and Will Scarlett—it's a force to be reckoned with. They've been making plays and connecting with Jones all season, and frankly I'm excited about what they're going to be doing this season since they've decided_ not _to participate in this years draft."_

" _Yeah but let's not forget Emmett Swan-Mills, Joe. That man has been on fire, 27 years old, 6 foot 6 and 247 pounds worth of elegance that not many tight ends in the NFL can say they have. He's been Jones go to guy for the past few years, accumulating 77 touchdowns, 11 returns and 6,981 yards received. There's a bond with Jones and Swan, and that bond has led the Colonels to many victories."_

" _Yeah Scott, I hear you. And you know what else—"_

Regina Swan-Mills changed the radio station, hearing it all before. Regina knew what Emmett could do on the field, and what he has been doing. She's been married to Emmett for the past seven years now, been in his corner and celebrating her husbands success just as he had been celebrating her success as police officer, since the very start and now Regina was a police sergeant and thriving.

Like every other couple, they had their ups and downs, but they were it for each other—they've known that since college, but even then proved to be a bit of a challenge, more so for her than for him. Their schedules never quite matched up how they wanted and they often had dates at seven in the morning when Regina was finally off from her shift. And he was usually on his way to practice, so their breakfast was just them sitting at the table. One trying to wake up and the other trying not to fall asleep.

And when Emmett was drafted into the NFL at just a ripe age of twenty years old...Regina nearly called it a quits then. A long distance relationship with a boy (barely a man, despite his size) who went into online classes with tutors on hand while traveling constantly wasn't her ideal man that she had dreamed off. And even presently, seven years later—Regina wasn't sure why she stayed with Emmett. And it wasn't for his money, despite popular belief, she had plenty of that on her own from her family wealth.

Life in the NFL for Emmett came with a certain amount of challenges that Regina wouldn't exactly call unique—but life as an NFL girlfriend, now wife, was even worse though over the years she's gotten better at handling all of the attention. Her husband, that goof she loved so much, was a talented individual on a talented team. And he had fans, not fans that liked the whole team, but _he_ actually had a fan base dedicated to him. And he even had his own nickname; Domino that derived from his middle name, Dominic.

She still had no idea why, but she was also named Mrs. Domino and Regina figured she was best to just leave it alone. Fans felt entitled to know every little thing about Emmett's life and hers, and it was still annoying but not as much as it was before. Regina eventually became okay with knowing that the entire NFL community knew her husbands salary as well as her own, and what she did for a living. And she stopped being so afraid of strangers knowing what their mansions looked like in Boston, California, Texas and Maine.

It was hard on them both, her being so driven in her career and him being on the road a lot—it helped to have friends, but for Regina, most of her friendships died out because they didn't understand her problems and as she got older. Regina did in fact realize that she was married to a superstar and they would've never seen past their own envy to pay attention to her like she did with them. And it wasn't like Emmett didn't try to help her, bless his heart, but she could just throttle him sometimes.

(And she does).

With her career in law enforcement and being a woman, it was hard enough, but sharing a name with her husband made it even harder. And she had to be careful with the friends she made on the force, but her partner David Nolan, and his wife Katheryn Nolan, were the best to ever happen to her. And for the past seven years, she and David have been working together. And Emmett and Katheryn have more or less become knitting buddies on those long nights when Regina and David spent out on a stake out or generally working a case.

There was trust between the four of them, real trust, and Regina cherished that with everything.

As she drove through their gated community neighborhood, Regina smiled when she passed the playground—always loving to see so many kids of all ages there and just hanging out and having fun. And she longed for the day when she would finally become with child...this is what she wanted for her future children. Security, love, and comfort. She waved to a few of her neighbors, some of them wearing her husbands jersey with the bold white number '28' sitting proudly on their chests.

"And so it begins."

Regina finally pulled her sleek Mercedes into the garage of their home in Boston, and went inside. She set her purse, badge and gun on the kitchen counter, spotting Emmett's usual Nike travel bag on the floor by the door. She was pleasantly surprised since he said he would be home much later and she was still trying to decide what to cook for dinner.

As she went upstairs and got closer to their master bedroom, Regina could hear the TV going and smiled. _He's so damn predictable._ Their bedroom door was wide open and as she expected, Emmett was laying in the middle of their bed, naked as the day he was born except for the gray briefs. He was sprawled on his stomach across their bed with a pillow tucked in his arms and under his head, snoring every other breath.

Regina sighed softly at the sight, eyeing the bruises forming on his back and upper arms from practice and she knew they were only going to get worse once the season actually started. It was one of the major things she hated about his career and even after all these years—Regina was still nervous when he was out on the field with a target on his back. As quietly as possible, Regina stripped out of her uniform and put on a pair of Emmett's briefs and one of his shirts before she went into their bathroom and retrieved their trusty tub of ointment that helped helped ease the ache of his bruises. It wasn't cheap, pushing into the triple digits online but it was worth it to keep her sane.

And that's how Emmett came back to the land of the living, his wife sitting next to him and giving him a semi back massage while watching _Basketball Wives_ and he rolled onto his side, and hugged her from the side. It was a little awkward but she leaned down and kissed his pink lips lovingly, once...twice, sighing softly.

"Welcome home, baby."

Emmett hummed quietly, "Hi babe...miss me?"

"I did, a lot, I'm looking forward to our week long vacation. Did _you_ miss _me_?" Regina smiled, pulling back and sat up straight to give her back a break and Emmett sat up with her, grimacing a little when his skin around his bruises on his back tightened but it didn't stop him from kissing the love of his life again.

"Hell yeah I did, longest six days of my fuckin' life."

And he wasn't lying. The training exercises that his Coach instructed were grueling, even more so since they weren't taking in any rookies this year despite a lot of players looking to join their ranks but Red had closed ranks on everyone, and in return, she wanted her veteran players in tip top shape—defense and offense, including the special teams, were put through their paces. Weakness were turned into strengths and strengths were turned into opportunities.

But while that was great for Emmett, he just really missed being home and being with his wife, the one person in the world who truly made him feel like he was worth something, who didn't want anything from him but his love and loyalty. He felt awesome when he was with Regina. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and moved to straddled him forcing him to keep them from falling off the edge of the bed which was alright with him. Regina brought her hands to the back of his head, caressing his baby hairs as she pulled him in for another kiss.

Almost immediately, before their lips parted, they melted into each other, taking their time—

"Fuck," Regina hissed, moving off of her husbands lap in search for her phone that was somewhere downstairs. She didn't want to but it could've been important.

"Aw c'mon," Emmett groaned, immediately missing Regina's warmth but he understood, he didn't want to, but he did. His wife's career was just important to him as his was to her, he would have to deal with it. She put up with a lot of shit for him, the least he could do was not complain...out loud.

Emmett adjusted himself beneath his briefs as he got up and pulled on a pair of sweats, and by the time Regina came back she looked a lot more frustrated than before, "What's up, Gina? Work emergency?"

"Not necessarily," Regina sighed heavily, "I forgot that we agreed to attend family dinner at my parents tonight."

"Ugh, but that's way in Manchester...that's an hour drive, Regina."

"I know, dear, but we promised—"

"Next time? I'm tired, babe. And I know you are too."

"Yes, but unless you want to deal with an irate Cora Mills... _alone,_ we're going so put on some clothes. And please wear something nice this time, Emmett or I swear to God."

Emmett smirked, "Fine but you're driving."

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

In Emmett's world, 'something nice' was him advertising the Nike brand with their shirt, shoes and shorts and a cap. She couldn't complain, she really couldn't because they were already running behind so she just settled for a glare in his direction which he was 'oblivious' to and they decided to take their shared Lexus LX 570 with Regina agreeing to drive back if he dealt with the traffic going up. However it was more like, Regina just got in the passengers seat and refused to move.

With Emmett focusing on the road and quietly swearing at the other idiot drivers on the road, Regina was comfortable in her own seat and browsing through her emails. She looked over at her husband briefly, observing his preferred unusual driving position that Regina forced herself to accept given his tall frame—he was practically leaning against the door with one hand at the bottom of the wheel and the seat pushed all the way back for the most leg room. Of course his shorts had ridden up, giving her an unobstructed view of those thighs, her eyes roaming her territory and forever appreciating.

"Thank you," she reached over and took his free hand with her own, lacing their fingers together, "I know how much you hate coming to these things—"

"I..." Emmett glanced at his wife, squeezing her hand softly, "I don't _hate_ them, Gina, I just...they're so uncomfortable. I feel like even after all these years, your family doesn't even like me."

"Well, if it's any consolation dear, they barely even like me. So we're in the same boat."

"Then why are we _even going?_ It's not too late to turn around. We can go out to eat and then go home and try to get you pregnant."

Regina scoffed, rolling her eyes, "So eloquently put, but we...have to, Emmett."

Emmett shrugged one shoulder, nodding "I know, Gina. And yes I'll promise to be nice. Not shady nice, but nice nice."

Regina lifted their joined hands and kissed his knuckles, his scars brushing against the one on her upper lip lightly. Emmett looked over at her again, smiling and she returned it easily before turning back towards the highway, watching the other cars and buildings fly by. Knowing that she was safe with her partner watching her back and at her side, both growing up with survival unsure how to love—love correctly but what they had? What they had was strong, not always easy, but it was rare.

"So, how was your day? Do anything exciting?"

"Mmm, so and so," Regina shrugged casually, "David and I mostly patrolled around, responded to a few domestic calls...but nothing harrowing thankfully. I've been looking forward to this vacation for two months and I'm going to enjoy every second of it."

"After this dinner, you mean?"

Regina smirked, "Yes."

"So, how are David and Katheryn?" Emmett really liked them, they were like his and Regina's married best friends or something and he wouldn't trust anyone else watching his wife's back out there on the streets—especially with the shit going down in the news these days.

Regina nodded slightly, glancing over at him slyly, "David is fine, dear, the baby is driving him and Katheryn insane I can imagine...also David asked if you'd like to go for drinks sometime this weekend? All of us?"

"Oh right, yeah, he did text me about that...I'm game, maybe we can have something at the house? I can invite Killian and Graham? Will and Belle if they wanna come? Small thing, nothing big...yeah?"

Regina bit her bottom lip, thinking it over and she admitted that the idea sounded nice, "I will run it by him and see if they're up for that."

"They can even bring their kid, it won't be that type of party y'know?"

Regina kissed his knuckles again, twice, "That's very thoughtful, I think Katheryn would really appreciate that. David said she's been having a really tough time lately being away from her little one too long."

"I bet we're gonna be like that too someday. Yeah?"

"Mmm, I think so." she certainly hoped so, and Emmett just offered her one of his goofy smiles that was especially reserved for her.

Emmett switched lanes and took the exit towards the loop, and though he was going a little too fast for Regina's comfort, she kept quiet. If they bicker about anything the most it's about each other's driving skills. To Emmett, they couldn't get to their destination fast enough and for Regina they simply get there too damn fast. The conversation lull that fell between them was comfortable and Regina reclined her seat a little bit and pulled down the visor to keep the sun out of her face.

After a while, when Regina's hand went slack Emmett realized that she was fast asleep and she looked mighty comfortable. He gently set her hand down in her lap and began fiddling with the radio until he found his favorite satellite rock station the one Regina hated with a passion. He turned the music up but not too loudly, and sang along.

SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ

By the time they arrived to Regina's parents house, they were about ten minutes late and Regina wide awake with her face practically pressed into the mirror and nearly bit her husbands head off when he accidentally hit a pothole and she nearly smeared her fire engine red lipstick across her face. And she actually hurt him when she socked him right in the arm for laughing at her.

"Ouch woman! That's my catching arm you're beating on," he laughed, somehow managing to avoid another swat, no one would ever believe him but his 5 foot 4 wife packed a hell of a punch. Regina finished her make up and put her make up bag back in her purse with her gun and badge just as Emmett parked the Lexus. Before she could even get her own seat belt off, Emmett was already out of the car and opening the door for her.

"And who said chivalry was dead?" Regina smiled, taking his hand as she slid out of the vehicle. They walked quietly up to the front door, and as Emmett rang the doorbell, Regina tugged his hand to get his attention, "1 hour, tops. Then we're leaving."

Emmett groaned, but nodded not getting a chance to comment that an hour in this house was going to take forever, something Regina surely already knew, when the butler opened the door. Regina never did like the man, Sydney was her mothers lapdog and forever a pain in her ass. He eyed Emmett disdainfully, and she felt her husband tense ever so slightly and sighed.

"You're late." was all Sydney said after a few beats and stepped aside to allow them in, "Your family is waiting, do hurry along."

"'Do hurry along'," Emmett mimicked under his breath as he passed the butler and Regina pressed her lips together to hold back a chuckle when Sydney huffed indignantly behind them and all but slammed the door shut. When they entered the dinning room, all chatter stopped and Regina had to physically and subtly push Emmett through the door, no easy feat since he had a little over a hundred pounds on her.

Quietly, she and Emmett went around the table to take their designated seats across from her sister Zelena and her husband, Robin while Cora and Henry sat on opposite ends of the table like they were some sort of King and Queen of the social elite community though in Regina's opinion, they might as well have been. They stepped on enough toes to get there.

And it seems that they were still doing it, because Regina took one look at the main dish and glared at her mother immediately while Emmett just sighed none too quietly and began politely filling his plate with the sides, which weren't very many. And Regina was pissed, because she knew Cora Mills had full control of the menu the chef cooked for these family dinners.

"Mother...you do realize that Emmett is severely allergic to fish, don't you?"

"Gina, it's fine—"

"See, _Regina?_ It's fine." Cora responded, smiling sweetly at them both and Regina just shook her head, grumbling under her breath, knowing that this entire dinner was going to be the longest hour of her life. She took Emmett's lead and just filled her plate with side dishes, she would very much like to kiss her man later without his face puffing up and breaking out into hives.

The conversation picked up again, but Emmett chose to just sit there quietly and let Regina field the questions for both of them as he pushed around the food on his plate, not particularly hungry for whatever the hell any of it was because he sure as hell didn't know. That worked out well for him until Robin looked up from his own plate at his brother in law.

"So, Domino, you ready for this upcoming season?"

"Oh bloody hell," Zelena rolled her eyes, "Please tell me we're not going to sit here and talk about football all night?"

Robin shrugged, "It's just a question, Zee, besides I just wanna know how it feels."

"How what feels man," Emmett reluctantly set down his fork and looked across the table at Robin, feeling everyone's eyes on him and Regina rubbing his leg soothingly under the table, not that it helped much but he was grateful.

"You're the highest paid TE (tight end) in the NFL, I mean dude c'mon...a 54 million dollar contract for the next 6 years? Plus an 8 million dollar bonus plus 2.4 mi—"

"We get it, Robin!" Zelena snapped, dropping her fist on the table with the knife point upwards, "Quit with the fangirling already, will you?!"

"More than what you'll ever make in construction, isn't it, Robin?" Cora picked up her wine glass, swirling around it's contents with a rather unpleasantly casual look on her face as she regarded her oldest daughters husband, she liked him considerately a lot less than she did Emmett, "How _is_ your business fairing along, darling?"

Emmett and Regina shared a look as Zelena glared at her husband, and practically stabbed at a slice of fish on her plate with her fork. Robin coughed lightly into his napkin and set it aside, "Uh...well, we hit a bit of a snag...lost a few contracts but it's nothing we can't make up for. We're fine."

"Really?" Cora simpered into her glass, and everyone at the table knew that tone, and were immediately on guard, Robin and Zelena rightfully so, "So, I suppose my daughter calling and asking her father and I for a loan was an...oh, I don't know, an accident?"

Robin looked at his wife sharply, "You what? Zelena why would you..."

Emmett set his elbow on the arm rest of his chair with has hand over his mouth and Regina pinched his thigh in warning, while schooling her own expression, "Perhaps you should focus on your own finances than ogle another man's bank account? Honestly, Zelena, darling, I told you not to marry this forest hobbit."

"Jesus Christ, Cora," Zelena seethed, ears reddening, "He is the father of your grandson, would it kill you to show some semblance of respect?"

"Unfortunately." for which statement Cora answered was honestly unclear to everyone at the dining table, "Zelena, darling I love you I do...but your choice of a husband has always been appalling. You have _such_ a healthy career at that, a teacher! It's a wonder you're both strug—"

"So? Regina is a cop!" Zelena blurted, ignoring Regina's withering glare for dragging her into her drama with Cora as if she and Emmett didn't have their own with the horrid woman, "I enjoy being a teacher—"

"Your mother doesn't mean any harm, Zelena," Henry cut in, fixing himself another helping of salmon, "But being a teacher is well...it's not too late to be a professor at the university? I could always make some calls...until you and Robin get back on your feet."

Cora scoffed loudly, "Regina's job choice is just as dreadful, Zelena, but she had enough brains to secure her financial future.

Emmett snorted, "Because I'm not sitting right here."

The table went awkwardly quiet and Emmett was stubborn enough to hide his nervousness as he and Cora stared each other down across the table and Regina could've socked him for opening his big mouth—the last thing she wanted was a Cora Mills delivered headache. And Zelena was just relieved that the heat was off of her and Robin.

"Yes. I suppose you _are_ just sitting there...doing nothing, as usual." Cora replied coolly, still not breaking eye contact, "Tell me, Emmett, when will you give my daughter children?"

"When you stop asking."

Cora seethed at that comment, and looked to her daughter, "Just _when_ do you think you two will give me a grandchild, Regina?"

"I don't know, but we've been trying non-stop lately if you know what I mean, mother." Regina winked at Cora's shocked expression, forcing a smile and like her husband, she lost her appetite a while ago.

"Well, did you know that your cousin Tink is pregnant?"

"Congratulations to her, did she find out who the father is yet?"

"That's enough, Regina." Henry slammed his hand on the table this time, startling everyone, "You will show your mother some respect or you can leave."

Regina immediately began gathering up her purse and Emmett glanced at his watch, _26 minutes..._ he didn't hear what Regina said to her family but Emmett was thankful for being so tall because Regina was walking pretty fast. Once they were outside, he knew that Regina wasn't really in the right state of mind to drive and despite his exhaustion, he slid into the drivers seat.

"So that was awkward," she shot him a look as she put on her seat belt, and he smiled at her sheepishly, "So uh...the Italian or Mexican?"

"Surprise me, dear. Just get us out of Manchester. We should've never come, I should've known that she'd—"

"We knew what we were getting into, Gina, it's fine. Cora just took it up a notch tonight...and look on the bright side, we won't have to come back for a few months. I mean...you were a savage in there, babe. That was hot."

Regina chuckled, and settled back into the leather seat and exhaled deeply and watched the city lights go by while Emmett sang along to his horrible taste in music but she didn't mind it. He deserved his radio freedom after standing up to Cora Mills tonight.

 **DCU :: DC UNIVERSE :: DCU**

 **DCU :: DC UNIVERSE :: DCU**


End file.
